The Prime Minister has said that the recent ‘cowardly’ act of terrorists to target Indians will not bend India’s will to help the people of Afghanistan. Dr Manmohan Singh said the entire nation is outraged by the Kabul incident in which seven innocent Indian lives were lost. Replying to the debate in Parliament on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, the Prime Minister said Indian nationals were on a mission of goodwill and friendship helping to construct the peaceful and democratic Afghanistan. He said, India’s assistance has received wide spread support among the people of Afghanistan.<br/><br/>The Prime Minister’s remarks came on a day National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon travelled to Afghanistan to review the security of nearly 4,000 Indians engaged in developmental and reconstruction projects across Afghanistan. The government has evolved certain proposals for the security of its nationals and these will be discussed by Mr. Menon with the Afghan authorities. According to sources, the proposals include setting up of protected venues where the Indians working on projects could be housed as well as the deployment of security personnel at places where Indians work.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the Washington Post quoting an Afghan Intelligence official said that the Pakistan based Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) orchestrated last week's deadly attack on two Kabul guesthouses with the suicide bombers searching for Indian victims. Investigators had concluded that LeT was involved in the attack based on evidence that it was carried out by a team of suicide bombers who spoke Urdu and who were searching for Indian victims. It said that one of the bombers involved in Friday's Kabul attack was yelling to know the whereabouts of an Indian doctor as he stormed one of guesthouses. The intelligence official said that other militants had also sought out Indians.
News On AIR | March 6, 2010 8:56 AM
Attack on Indians in Kabul will not bend our will to help Afghan people: PM